A Wrong Turn in Mississippi
"I don't think this is the Ida B. Wells Museum"
Just over a month ago, I traveled to Memphis for a quick work trip. It wasn’t my first time there—I’d been twice before. The first was back in 1995, when my Seattle band, The Lemons, made an unsuccessful attempt to finish our album at Ardent Studios. The second was in 2023, during my book tour, when I took a detour to nearby Ashland, Mississippi, hoping to find traces of my enslaved ancestors’ home. That search, unfortunately, led to a dead end.
But this time, there was a new lead. A newfound cousin recently informed me that I’d been looking in the wrong town all along. With that revelation, I set off to Holly Springs, Mississippi, determined to follow the trail more carefully. Armed with a cryptic 150-year-old address, I visited City Hall, the town library, and the Assessor’s Office, hoping someone could help me decode it. When no one could, I decided to try a local museum.
That’s when the story took an unexpected—and chilling—turn.
This note is just a prelude to a larger piece I’ve written about the experience, which is live online today in The New York Times. It will also appear in the Sunday print edition tomorrow. My friend Jamie Harmon joined me on this surreal journey, capturing some remarkable photos along the way. Deciding which ones to share has been difficult; some include deeply confrontational imagery. So I’ve opted to only include a few lighter moments from my recent day in Holly Springs.
Thank you for reading,
Nabil
For a limited time, you can pick up a signed, gift wrapped copy of my memoir, My Life in the Sunshine from Bandcamp for just $20. What a great gift!
All 20 episodes of Identified Season 1 are live now. Episode one is with Karen Ayers, a living descendant of the man who enslaved my paternal ancestors. After that, it’s a rapidly growing list of musicians, comedians, authors, chefs and friends talking about family. Identified is available on all major podcast platforms, 100% free and ad free. You can watch short video clips on YouTube and Instagram. Watch for Season 2 in 2025.
Listen: Apple Spotify Amazon Bandcamp Website
My memoir is called My Life in the Sunshine. You can order it here, or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.
I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here.
Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn